Bo is pursuing research simulating the workings of the Prismatic Very High Temperature Reactor. The Prismatic VHTR is a helium-cooled, graphite moderated reactor that is being considered for use in the next generation of nuclear power reactors. One of the primary advantages of such a system is the extremely high reactor coolant outlet temperature (900-1000 C), allowing for higher thermal efficiency and use of emissions-free process (waste) heat. Bo's research primarily concerns the thermal hydraulic modeling of the reactor with an emphasis on the heat transfer and behavior of the helium, in the interest of better understanding the possible interactions caused by an ingress of air during a failure.
The analysis of the reactor is done primarily using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solvers, specifically the STAR-CCM+ CFD package. Some test work is also performed using COSMOS FloWorks. The CFD packages allow for properties, like temperature, to be evaluated at specific locations in both the coolant and the reactor core itself.